As we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns -- the ones we don't know we don't know. — Donald Rumsfeld, February 12 , 2002.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Resident Physicians Still Grinding It Out

Since 2003, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education has limited residents' hours to 80 a week and no more than 30 consecutive hours per shift.

Though ACGME claims that its rules are being obeyed by teaching hospitals and that only 2% of residents reported working more than 80 hours a week last year, others strongly disagree. In the first year since the rules took effect, 67% of interns (first-year residents) reported working more than 30-hour shifts, and 43% said they worked more than 80 hours a week, a September JAMA study found.

In other parts of the world they call this "hazing," but since this involves older physicians harshing on younger physicians it's called "training."